Not long ago, Gauri Khan’s restaurant Torii grabbed headlines after a YouTuber conducted a basic test and alleged that the paneer served there was fake. The claim quickly stirred controversy but was soon debunked by the restaurant with a clear explanation. Now, the head chef reveals that the unexpected buzz actually worked in their favour.
Torii’s head Chef breaks silence fake Paneer controversy
Torii’s head chef, Stefan Gadit, recently gave an interview to SCREEN where he opened up about the fake paneer controversy that surfaced not long ago. A YouTuber had conducted a basic test and alleged that the paneer served at Gauri Khan’s restaurant was fake.
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Addressing the claims, Chef Stefan firmly stated that,
“The quality, the ingredients, everything we provide is top-notch; we had nothing to worry about.”
The controversy was increasing a lot and it does affect one’s business, thus he shared that the team decided to issue a statement so that people could understand what was actually happening behind the scenes.
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In reference to the vlogger, he said, the person didn’t have any wrong intentions and simply wanted to check. However, it turned out into something different.
Chef Stefan also highlighted the importance of proper food science knowledge when it comes to testing food. He mentioned that people study food chemistry for at least four years to understand how such experiments should be done.
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According to him, putting “something over something” isn’t a conclusive method to determine food authenticity. It indeed is true as such tests can be misleading when not backed by genuine expertise.
Fake Paneer controversy turns into unexpected boost for Gauri Khan’s Torii
While such a major controversy could easily damage the reputation of any restaurant, that wasn’t the case for Gauri Khan’s Torii. Head chef Stefan Gadit revealed that the fake paneer claims, instead of hurting them, surprisingly worked in their favour. He shared that the incident not only brought more attention to the restaurant but actually helped grow their business.
Chef Stefan added that he personally gained more than 20–30 new followers on Instagram after the controversy.
“”It increased our business, and I got more than 20-30 followers on Instagram, so that was a blessing in disguise, I would say.”
What seemed like a negative moment turned into an unexpected opportunity for both the chef and the restaurant.
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Renowned Chef Vikas Khanna backed Torii in fake Paneer controversy which prompted YouTuber to take down the video
When YouTuber Sarthak Sachdeva claimed that Gauri Khan’s restaurant Torii was serving fake paneer based on a self-conducted iodine test, the controversy quickly gained traction. However, Torii was quick to release a statement debunking the claim with a detailed explanation. They clarified that the iodine test used by the vlogger could only detect the presence of starch and had no relation to the quality or authenticity of the paneer. They further explained that since their product contains soy, the test result showing a change in colour was misinterpreted.
Renowned chef Vikas Khanna also stepped in to support Torii’s explanation, acknowledging the science behind the restaurant’s statement.
With the backing of an expert like Vikas Khanna, the credibility of Torii’s response was further strengthened. As a result, Sarthak deleted his video, putting an end to the doubtful narrative.
While the YouTuber conducted this test on many celebrity restaurants, it was only Gauri Khan’s Torii which did not pass it, as per him. However, since the genuine reasons are shared it has only reaffirmed the restaurant’s commitment to quality.
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What are your thoughts on the whole matter? Have you ever tried the paneer of Gauri Khan’s Torii? Do share via the comments below.
